Milan Malpensa Airport
Milan Malpensa Airport is the principal international airport serving northern Italy, located in Ferno in the Province of Varese, Lombardy, approximately 49 kilometres northwest of Milan. The largest airport in northern Italy, it serves Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, and the Swiss canton of Ticino, and sits within the boundaries of the Parco Naturale Lombardo della Valle del Ticino — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its origins trace to 1909, when it was opened for aircraft testing by aviation pioneers Giovanni Agusta and Gianni Caproni.
At a glance
- Type
- International airport (IATA code: MXP)
- Period
- Opened 1909 for aviation tests; civil operations from 1948; current terminals from 1998
- Style
- Contemporary aviation infrastructure
- Location
- Ferno, Province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.6275° N, 8.7132° E
Overview
Malpensa is Italy’s second busiest airport by passenger traffic and the main gateway for long-haul intercontinental flights to and from northern Italy. Operated by SEA (Società per Azioni Esercizi Aeroportuali), it comprises two terminals: Terminal 1 handling most scheduled flights and Terminal 2 primarily for low-cost carriers. The airport’s position within a natural park and its historic origins in early aviation make it an unusual combination of modern infrastructure and heritage landscape.
History
The Malpensa site was first used in 1909 by Giovanni Agusta and Gianni Caproni — two of Italy’s earliest aviation entrepreneurs — to test their aircraft prototypes, making it one of the oldest airfield sites in Europe. During the Second World War the site served military purposes. Civil aviation commenced in 1948, and the modern airport was progressively developed; the current Terminal 1 opened in 1998 as part of a major expansion ahead of Italy’s hosting of key international events.
What you see
Terminal 1 is a large modern facility spread over two piers connected by automated people-movers, with a broad range of retail and dining concessions. The airport’s surroundings offer an unexpected encounter with nature: the flat Lombard plain and the Ticino river valley, visible from taxiways and some terminal windows, form a protected natural landscape. The nearby town of Somma Lombardo preserves a small aviation museum dedicated to the pioneers who first flew here.
Cultural significance
Malpensa’s centenary-plus history connects it to the earliest chapter of Italian aviation heritage. The Agusta and Caproni families were foundational figures in Italian aerospace — Agusta became a major helicopter manufacturer and Caproni pioneered bomber aircraft in the First World War. The airport thus represents not just a transport hub but a living site of Italian technological and industrial memory.
Practical information
- Address
- Via dell’Aeroporto, 21013 Ferno VA, Italy
- Opening hours
- Open 24 hours; terminal services vary — check aeroportimilano.it
- Admission
- Free access to terminal public areas
Getting there
The Malpensa Express train connects the airport to Milano Centrale (about 50 minutes) and Milano Cadorna (about 40 minutes), running every 30 minutes. FlixBus and other coach services link the airport to central Milan and other Lombard cities. By car, the airport is accessible via the A8 motorway from Milan. Taxis and ride-share services operate from dedicated ranks outside arrivals.